Nurse anesthetists' incomes higher than family physicians'

I interviewed a young woman earlier this week for a summer babysitting job who said she wants to pursue a career in the medical field after she finishes high school, possibly to become a nurse anesthetist. I found myself wanting to encourage her to go to medical school and study family medicine instead. I like the idea of a prospective family doctor taking care of my children, and she seems like she would be well suited for the profession. I decided to keep the career advice to myself until I get to know her better. Then an article published yesterday on CNNMoney.com made me realize just what a hard sell this might be.

Physician recruiting firm Merritt Hawkins & Associates reports that certified nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) were offered an average base salary of $189,000 in 2009, compared with $173,000 for primary care physicians. This is the fourth year in a row that CRNAs’ salaries have exceeded that of family physicians. Growth in the number of surgical procedures has fueled demand for anesthetists and anesthesiologists, according to the article. The firm projects that gap will close somewhat in 2010, but that CRNAs will continue to command higher wages than primary care doctors.

When the time is right, I’m still going to steer this impressive young woman toward family medicine, but I might need to rethink her babysitting salary. Clearly if she’s going to finance a medical degree and family medicine career, she needs to start earning more money -- now.

Posted at 01:45PM Mar 12, 2010 by Leigh Ann Backer  |  Comments[0]

Good news, bad news

How about starting with the good news? Family medicine is among the 10 best paid occupations in the country, at least according to Forbes. Note: That's not the 10 best paid medical specialties; it's the 10 best paid occupations of any sort. Even better, at $161,490 per year, the average family physician makes $1,050 more than the average CEO. Congratulations! (No way to tell whether the CEO salary figures count golden parachutes, though ... )

You already know the bad news, I'm sure: While family physicians make the top-10 list, they're number nine, behind general surgeons, anesthesiologists, orthodontists, obstetricians and gynecologists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, general internists, prosthodontists, and a group called "other physicians and surgeons" – those outside the "main specialties."

Don't despair. That doesn't mean that family physicians are the worst-paid physicians in the country. Other major specialties didn't even make it into the top 10. General pediatricians made 13th place, for instance, behind general dentists and psychiatrists. And lawyers show up in 16th place. See? Even the bad news isn't that bad.

Posted at 10:51AM Aug 04, 2009 by Bob Edsall  |  Comments[1]